In a controversial move, North Carolina Republican lawmakers have voted to pass a sweeping bill that strips key powers from the state’s incoming Democratic governor and attorney general. The legislation, passed in the closing days of the legislative session, comes just before Republicans are expected to lose their veto-proof supermajority in the state legislature next year.
One of the key provisions of the bill would transfer the power to appoint members to the North Carolina State Board of Elections—an authority currently held by the governor—to the state auditor. Republican Dave Boliek, who defeated Democrat Jessica Holmes in the November 5 election, will assume the role of state auditor. Historically, the board is controlled by the party of the sitting governor, but Republicans have long pushed for greater influence over the board, which oversees the state’s elections. Previous attempts to shift control have been blocked by the courts.
The new legislation also shortens the time allotted for voters to correct ballot errors and requires counties to count ballots more quickly, potentially affecting election processes in high-turnout races.
The 131-page bill, introduced as a last-minute committee substitute, includes several other Republican priorities, including hurricane relief funding. The bill, which was crafted behind closed doors, passed through both chambers of the GOP-controlled legislature in just two days, despite opposition from some Republican lawmakers. After the Senate approved the bill on Wednesday, it was sent to Democratic Governor Roy Cooper’s desk. Cooper, who has criticized the measure as a “power grab,” is expected to veto the legislation, but Republicans have enough votes to override his veto if needed.
Critics of the bill, including Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections, expressed concern that the changes could undermine the integrity of elections. Bell stated that state board staff had not been consulted on the legislation and warned that it could make it difficult for local election boards to ensure every eligible vote is counted, particularly in high-turnout elections.
Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger defended the bill, asserting that it was a necessary step to address concerns about the state’s election system. “We’ve expressed concerns for a number of years about how the Board of Elections has been operating under the appointees of Roy Cooper,” Berger said. “We just decided that it was time for us to go ahead and take action.”
As the bill heads to Cooper’s desk, the latest development in North Carolina’s political landscape signals a continued struggle for control of key state institutions, particularly as the GOP braces for a shift in power in the upcoming legislative session.
